Chapter 86

"What's wrong, Soma?" Malty asked as their family of five had a delicious dinner. "You barely touched your food! Are you feeling alright?"

Despite the sweet tone in his mother's voice, Soma was finding it difficult to face her. Soma still can't get what happened earlier in the day out of his mind. Remembering how his mother spoke so brashly and about slaves? Soma wanted to deny it, but he knew better.

What he heard was perhaps the true side of his mother.

And so, Soma made the dumbest decision he could ever do.

"Dad, I heard something earlier," Soma said to his father, gathering all the courage he could.

"What is it, Soma?" Remedy asked, giving his son permission to speak his mind.

"Mom is a bad person!" Soma said, pointing an accusatory finger at Malty.

Soma's family had different reactions to what Soma said. Malty looked horrified. Sero looked amused. Freia looked curious. Remedy spat the food in his mouth out of the sheer absurdity of what Soma said.

Remedy coughed a little before drinking some water. He then turned to Soma.

"What are you talking about, Soma? That's ridiculous!" Remedy said, clearly unhappy at the behavior Soma was showing.

"Our little Soma is in his rebellious phase! So early!" Sero said with a wide grin.

"Soma, dear. Are you feeling alright?" Malty asked. In Soma's perspective, Malty was just feigning concern. It may as well be true.

"I heard you!" Soma said, his voice slowly rising to shouting volume. "You sell slaves! You're tricking dad!"

"Soma-"

"You're an evil person!" Soma shouted, interrupting whatever Malty wanted to say.

"That's enough, Soma!"

Soma was silenced by his father's shout. Soma felt himself recoil at the tone of his father. He never heard him so… angry.

"Is this your idea of a prank, Soma?" Remedy asked. "That's going too far! Calling your mother evil? Apologize to your mother, Soma!"

"But, da-"

"Apologize!"

Soma was stunned. His father wouldn't even listen to him. His mother had his father all tied up around her finger. Soma felt frustrated. He stood up, slamming his little hands on the table.

"No!"

Soma ran to his room, not sparing a glance to the rest of his family. He left them and ran. 

At that moment, he had no idea that was the last time he would ever speak to his father…

"What has gotten into him?" Remedy sighed.

"I'll go talk to him," Malty said. "Don't worry, dear. I'm sure Soma was only trying to get your attention."

"I… I shouldn't have yelled at him like that," Remedy said, regretting the way he reacted just now. "Yeah, I think you're right. I'm gone most of the time and I barely bond with you all. Can you apologize to him for me? I don't think he'd listen to me…"

"Of course, dear…"

…

Soma was busy packing his things in a bag. He was getting all the clothes he could and what little money he managed to save. He was busy trying to fit everything in his bag when a knock sounded on his bedroom door.

"Soma?" Malty's voice came from the other side of the door, stunning Soma. "Can I come in?"

Soma didn't answer. His father's words and reaction to him just now told him all he needed. That he was alone.

With a resolved look in his eyes, Soma quickly packed up everything he needed in his bag. He then opened the window of his room.

"I swear, dad. I'll come back for you," Soma said to himself. "I'll save you from mom!"

With his father adamant in not believing what he said, Soma decided to prove to his father that his mother was not who he believed she was. To do that, Soma needed the help of other people. He still has no idea how he would go about it, but for now, what was important was his safety.

Soma had to run from home. He only stayed so he could warn his father and have him confront his mother. But, seeing what happened earlier, it didn't go so well.

"Soma?" Malty asked from the other side of Soma's bedroom door. "Please talk to me, dear."

Soma didn't listen to her words. He threw his bag out of the window before jumping out of it himself. Soma picked up his bag and ran into the night.

"Soma, open this door! Now!" Malty's voice slowly lost its patient and concerned tone.

Soon, Soma's door opened. Malty used the master key of the house.

"Soma, you have been-!"

Malty was surprised to see Soma's empty bedroom. The mess it was currently in told her all she needed to know. Soma ran away.

With surprisingly calm steps, Malty walked to the open window Soma used to leave their house. Since Soma's bedroom was on the first floor, he had no trouble using it to escape.

"So… you're this resolved?"

If Soma could see Malty's face, he would be horrified. The kind face that his mother always showed twisted into one that he would barely recognize. Immense malice and darkness overshadowed what could have been Malty's beautiful face.

"You really are my son… you filthy brat!"

Malty took out a Baby Transponder Snail out of her breast pocket. She quickly dialed a number. The snail only rang a few times before it was answered.

"Yes, Madam Malty?" a rough voice on the other side spoke with reverence.

"I need you to do something for me…"

…

"Please, you have to believe me!" Soma said, pleading to their town's guards.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

The guards just laughed at Soma.

"Soma, are you at that age now?" one of the guards asked. "Isn't it too early for you to be rebelling against your parents?"

"I'm not!" Soma said. "My mother isn't a good person! You have to believe me!"

"That's nonsense!" Just like his father, the guards outright dismissed Soma's words. "Lady Malty is such a kind woman, you know?"

"Yeah! Just the other day, she told me what to do for my wife to forgive me!"

"She taught my wife how to cook my favorite food too!"

Soma couldn't listen to the guards. They droned on and on about how his mother was this perfect angel that couldn't possibly do any wrong. Soma felt wronged. Why didn't they listen to him? Why did they believe in his mother so much?

"Fuck you all!" Soma's anger bursted out of him. "You aren't even listening to me! You fuckers are shitty guards!"

The guards were stunned at the outburst of the five year old in front of them. A slight realization dawned on them that Soma probably wasn't trying to play a prank at all. But it was too late. Soma already ran out of their station.

Soma didn't know where else to go. The town's law enforcement was the best possible help he could get, and they just laughed at him. They didn't even consider that he was telling the truth. And so, as lost as he was right now, Soma just ran.

He eventually found himself in a darker part of the town.

Soma stopped under a lamppost to rest for a moment and catch his breath. He wanted to think of the next step he would take… but that was when a shadow loomed over him.

…